2024 sees our 11th year of campaigning for a good Basildon Local Plan and the continued protection of the borough's Green Belt. Little did we know that when we set out on 2014 that we would still be doing this so many years later. But here we are with it all to play for again.
2023 saw Basildon council start work in earnest on a new Local Plan but we are not likely to see any details until later this year, although the timescales are somewhat up in the air following Government intervention in December. The council had been planning on finalising and submitting a new plan for examination in mid-2026 but the Government is asking for a June 2025 submission deadline. It is therefore possible that we may see more progress on the new Local Plan earlier than we had been expecting.
As we have consistently said, unless Basildon council adopts a housing target that uses the current Green Belt as a constraint, as newly revised national planning policy allows, we are likely to see a new plan no better than the last with wholesale Green Belt loss. We need the council to agree a target before they go much further and definitely before they release any details of site allocations. They must be bold and resolute in this. The target defines everything.
A worry is that the May local borough ward elections could see yet another change in council administration and history has shown that change introduces a risk and delay. Sadly, the Basildon Local Plan has been used as a political football over the years. We continue to contest that something as important and defining as a Local Plan should be free from party politics. It should have always been a cross-party exercise but it's possibly to late for that commonsense position to be adopted now. Politics will no doubt taint the Local Plan yet again.
As always, we will retain our non-political position and support whoever does the right thing and be critical of those that don't.
Whilst the Local Plan is the most important matter for the year ahead we cannot ignore the plethora of speculative planning applications we are seeing for sites in the Green Belt. We have already seen Maitland Lodge, Kennel Lane and Dunton Road approved on appeal, and the outcome of the Potash Road appeal is awaited. It is good to see Basildon's borough councilors continue to reject such planning applications but its disappointing that the planning inspectorate has overturned local democracy at the appeals.
We hope that our councilors remain resolute in this as planning applications already exists for several other Green Belt sites yet to be determined, including Noak Bridge, and more are expected very soon for several developments on London Road and at Heath Close. But we fear more.
The opportunity exists for the council to take advantage of the situation by setting the right housing target, bringing forward the Local Plan start date in response to the Government's pressure, and making sure it incorporates all of these Green Belt sites should they be approved. If not we are going to see a lot of unplanned development with a new Local Plan on top. The result could be very damaging.
Its clearly going to be a very busy year. Watch this space!
2023 saw Basildon council start work in earnest on a new Local Plan but we are not likely to see any details until later this year, although the timescales are somewhat up in the air following Government intervention in December. The council had been planning on finalising and submitting a new plan for examination in mid-2026 but the Government is asking for a June 2025 submission deadline. It is therefore possible that we may see more progress on the new Local Plan earlier than we had been expecting.
As we have consistently said, unless Basildon council adopts a housing target that uses the current Green Belt as a constraint, as newly revised national planning policy allows, we are likely to see a new plan no better than the last with wholesale Green Belt loss. We need the council to agree a target before they go much further and definitely before they release any details of site allocations. They must be bold and resolute in this. The target defines everything.
A worry is that the May local borough ward elections could see yet another change in council administration and history has shown that change introduces a risk and delay. Sadly, the Basildon Local Plan has been used as a political football over the years. We continue to contest that something as important and defining as a Local Plan should be free from party politics. It should have always been a cross-party exercise but it's possibly to late for that commonsense position to be adopted now. Politics will no doubt taint the Local Plan yet again.
As always, we will retain our non-political position and support whoever does the right thing and be critical of those that don't.
Whilst the Local Plan is the most important matter for the year ahead we cannot ignore the plethora of speculative planning applications we are seeing for sites in the Green Belt. We have already seen Maitland Lodge, Kennel Lane and Dunton Road approved on appeal, and the outcome of the Potash Road appeal is awaited. It is good to see Basildon's borough councilors continue to reject such planning applications but its disappointing that the planning inspectorate has overturned local democracy at the appeals.
We hope that our councilors remain resolute in this as planning applications already exists for several other Green Belt sites yet to be determined, including Noak Bridge, and more are expected very soon for several developments on London Road and at Heath Close. But we fear more.
The opportunity exists for the council to take advantage of the situation by setting the right housing target, bringing forward the Local Plan start date in response to the Government's pressure, and making sure it incorporates all of these Green Belt sites should they be approved. If not we are going to see a lot of unplanned development with a new Local Plan on top. The result could be very damaging.
Its clearly going to be a very busy year. Watch this space!
